Everyday Life

After being shut down for nearly a year for renovations, Daingerfield State Park in Daingerfield, Texas, is scheduled to re-open July 1, 2011, according to park superintendent, John Thomas.

Renovations have included work on the lodge, concession building, bath house and boathouse/interpretative center with additions of three new restrooms and 30 new campsites. All new campsites will include water, electricity and sewer.

In the 1930's Daingerfield State Park served as a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) building project, for unemployed, unmarried men between the ages of 18-25 as a public work relief program.  The program provided labor jobs that were related to the conservation and development of natural resources in rural lands that were owned by the government.


"The neat thing about the renovations of the project is that this is an opportunity for us to take the CCC structures, renovate them and have an improved facility.  This is putting them back into the original condition it was built for and designed back in the 1930s. The roofs on the buildings are made from wooden cedar shake, like the ones in 1938." Thomas said.


Reservations are being accepted for arrival on July 1 or later. For reservations, feel free to call (512) 389-8900 or visit the website for a link to state park reservations.
 

An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Can anyone recommend someone who is an expert doing taxes for the self employed! I think Im done with Turbo Tax! lol Thanks!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and prosperous New Year!! Im hoping all the northern folks all want to buy second homes to get away from the cold and snow!! Helping us southern Realtors Crank Up The Sales to get 2011 off to a great start!!

I love to read about the history of grand hotels. If you ever visited St. Pete, you have had to see the grand Vinoy looking over Tampa Bay.

The article I read gave some history about how it was started, what it went through and how it ended up being grand again!

Some of the celebrities that have stayed there are Hemingway, President Calvin Coolidge and the polar explorer Richard Byrd. Calvin Coolidge felt the food was too rich, and when asked by the elevator operator how the food was, he told the operator "too rich" and jokingly, the elevator operator told him, he could eat in the cafeteria with the rest of the employees. Guess what - that's what he did for the rest of his stay.

It was originally built in 1925 as the vacation spot for the America's rich and famous. Unfortunately, visitors stopped coming and it closed in disrepair in 1973. Prior to it closing when the Depression hit Florida hard, the Vinoy opened the rooms to America's soldiers who it is said wrecked it. However, it was sold by Mr. Vinoy to Charles Alberding for $700,000 which Mr. Vinoy took a $2.8 million loss. It eventually closed. There were many plans to re0open but nothing materizlized until some investors took it over and the St. Petersburg residented voted to allow the leasing of underwater land for boat slips. The repairs and construction begain in 1990 and in 1992, the Stouffer Vinoy Resort reopened after a $90 million renovation.

The article was written by the person whose friend was hired to get rid of the rodents. He said it felt like a haunted mansion (they probably could have opened it like that; made it an area attraction and charged). However, they didn't and it was cleaned up; mosquitoe problem; rodent problem and clean resolved.

This is just an excerpt from the article (see this St. Pete Times for the full article). The hotel is open for tours and their phone number is 727-824-8033.

We live in Weeki Wachee (Hernando County) but love to visit St. Pete. It is a great day out.

Imagaine a Christmas Concert and admission is only anew unwrapped toy, game or gift certificate for a family in need. Hear wonderful music and feel good about giving. The United Way of Hernando County's Holiday Concert features the Potter's Clay Bank and it will be SUnday, December 19, at Springstead Theater located at 3300 Mariner Blvd., Spring Hill, FL. They will be performing a "Christmas in Sarajevo" holiday season concert celebrating the music of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Enjoy a beautiful concert and give a needy family a toy. What could be better?

They provide a free Christmas meal on Friday, Christmas Eve from 10 - 2 p.m. and they need volunteers. They will be serving the meal at the First United Methodist Church, 109 S. Broad Street in Brooksville (Hernando County).

They are also looking for food donations which besides canned goods, can be turkeys, hams, pies, instant potato mix, stuffing and milk. Also gifts of toys and they are looking for items for teenagers as well. We tend to give toys and clothing for the younger, but the teenagers are also in need.

If you need more information, call Pastor Bruce Gimbel at 352-799-2912, X100.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

As an older adult who does not have children in the schools in Hernando County (Spring Hill, Brooksville and Weeki Wachee area), I was shocked to find out that children who are in the breakfast and lunch program were not given food to sustain them when school is out during the holidays. There are two volunteers who now help get food to those families whose children are in programs that do not feed during the holidays as school is out. They are taking food donations at various places through Hernando County until this Friday at: Wiggle Worms Christian Learning Center, 7270 Pinehurst Drive, Spring Hill; Christian Church of the WIldwood; 10051 Country Road (just north of Weeki Wachee Springs off of SR 19); and the Hernando County School Baord, 919 N Broad Street, Brooksville.

Tropic Shores Realty located at 3441 Deltona Blvd., also has a box for the wonderful volunteers of People Helping People and you can drop off food donations and/or clothes, especially clothes for teenagers. Thisalso a great organization if you would like to volunteer to serve a hot meal to anyone that comes through the door on Sundays at The Senior Hernando Club off of 19 and Rhanbuoy Road in Spring Hill. I volunteer when I can at this location, and Publix Supermarkets donates tons of bread and cakes to these families. I always shop at Publix because they donate every week to these families so they not only have bread at our meals, but they get two loaves to take home. This organization does not question or who why you are there and volunteers are asked to serve them because they are special people.

I find it hard to believe that in this great country of ours there are people without food. If you can donate a couple of cans of food, do it. It will not only make their day, but yours as well.

Okay I will tell you that when I woke up in Weeki Wachee (Hernando County) it was cold this morning. But the good news - it doesn't stay that way for long - up to 60 degrees today and that is what they call a "cold front". I am from Long Island and 60 degrees is a heat wave!
Living in Weeki Wachee and being a realtor in the Spring Hill, Brooksville area is a pleasure, especially now.
Come on down northerners - you know you want to. Prices, mortgage rates and selection are the best!
 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday! Enjoy time with family and friends! Its going to be tough to stay away from the deserts!!!!! :}